Since the start of 2012 we’ve lost count of the number of #Follow style twitter fads that have come each week – each and every time people fall for the quantity over quality theory on twitter

#Followladder #Followbus – what next? #Followmetrolink – like many we’re all just thinking #hollowfollow

Twitter like every other marketing platform requires market segmentation and clear game plan as to which followers you’re looking to attract. It’s something we look at in-depth during our Social Media Training, yet the acquiring mass follow concept doesn’t take this into account – it’s just mass following for following’s sake and won’t reap any benefits in the long run.

So what’s the psychology behind the follow ladder syndrome
* We’re all built as hunter gatherers and told the more the merrier

* Traditional marketing always emphasises the numbers first before the demographic breakdown – look at any advertising media pack for a newspaper or magazine

* Often the only news stories we read in mainstream newspapers on twitter are about XYZ celeb gained XXX amount of followers overnight

Now lets look at some of the mains reasons our clients want to get involved with twitter in the first place

* Increase brand awareness to new potential customers

* Communicate and engage with existing customers on a regular basis (and encourage repeat custom)

* Increase levels of customer service

* Be Part of the local business community

With those goals in place simply ask yourself how does being mass followed by tweeters with no specific demographic help you? That’s right it doesn’t

Altrincham HQ is a prime example itself of a business where we are very much defined by our demographic with the key factor being location

* Primarily working in the Greater Manchester / Cheshire area with a focus obviously on our own home town our ethos is to put SME’s on a level playing field with larger corporations.
* As we only deliver training one on one many of the companies are owner managed businesses
* And like twitter norms the age demographic is mainly 30+

So next weekend when the next random #follow hashtag is used – simply think #hollowfollow and let it pass by – 1 real follower is worth 1000 followers gained in this way

If you want to talk about a real social media strategy get in touch via the contact us page

LESSONS TO LEARN
* Know your target market and demographic of your user base
* Mass following or random follows will not help your business
* Key targeting following is much better

Altrincham Hq

“With over 12 years experience of Social Media and 17 years experience of online marketing in other companies, clients come to myself when they want a veteran rather than a rookie” Alex McCann